Manhattan College Honors NYPD Chief of Detectives

On May 30, nearly 100 faculty, alumni and graduate students from the School of Engineering gathered in Smith Auditorium to celebrate the accomplishments of Phil T. Pulaski ’76, chief of detectives for the New York City Police Department (NYPD) at the annual environmental engineering alumni club dinner.

With 32 years of law enforcement experience and 18 years of senior executive experience in forensic science, Pulaski currently oversees approximately 4,000 personnel in more than 150 detective squads.

In 2012, Pulaski oversaw the detective bureau personnel that investigated more than 245,000 felony and misdemeanor crimes, arrested more than 35,000 offenders, and achieved a homicide clearance rate of 75 percent. Describing himself as “an agent of change,” he thanked Manhattan College for teaching him how to solve problems.

After earning a bachelor’s in chemical engineering and a master’s in environmental engineering from Manhattan College, Pulaski attended St. John’s University School of Law while working as an environmental and civil engineer for the United States Environmental Protection Agency.

Pulaski says he is often asked why, after passing the New York Bar in 1981, he chose to become a NYPD patrol and work his way up the ranks rather than take a more lucrative position. He teases that he caught the “public service bug” at Manhattan.

“Manhattan College is about public service,” Pulaski said. “The professors who work here… are people who don’t just teach you equations but inspire you to do something better, to make a change, to do something that will create a legacy without your name on it that will just make things better. That’s why this is such a unique institution.”